"If you want to become a true powerhouse, you must temper yourself through life-and-death trials."
No one knows when this saying first arose, but it has since been embraced as truth by countless lifeforms—regarded as an indisputable maxim, an eternal law circulating throughout the boundless cosmos.
......
In the past, Mason was one of those believers—he deeply revered this maxim.
Time slipped quietly by. Now, Mason—his face gaunt and withered—sat across from Andrew Han on the crystal-glass sofa, no longer worshiping that creed. At last, he had regained his calm and reason, able to think and discern reality, at least no longer blindly idolizing it.
Reality had proven otherwise.
He lost—utterly, disastrously.
That creature deep within the star was only slightly weaker than a Void Rift peak existence—Mason never stood a chance against it.
"Sigh."
Mason gave a bitter, rueful smile.
He did not speak, and Andrew too fell into silence, unwilling to wound the last shred of dignity his friend still possessed.
A faint buzzing filled the air.
The vessel occasionally rocked gently as it sailed through the endless, star-strewn void.
Outside, the scenery warped in dazzling, prismatic colors. Andrew stared blankly for a moment, then lowered his head to straighten the corner of his green robe, saying softly, "Don’t worry. Once we return to the Spark-Heritage Zone, there will be a solution."
Across from him.
Mason said nothing, remaining silent.
Andrew leaned back on the crystal-glass sofa, his Soul-Will power fully restrained: "We’re almost there. In less than half a day, we’ll reach the South-Sage Ancient Kingdom’s main transmission facility, then return to the Spark-Heritage Zone… Once back at the Primordial Gate, your injuries will definitely be healed."
"Teleportation is fast," Andrew added.
"It only takes the blink of an eye."
"Mason, so what if you didn’t pass the third assessment task? There will be another chance."
Andrew was still a member of the Primordial Gate, and so was Mason.
Hearing these words, Mason lifted his head and forced a faint smile: "Sounds pretty good."
It did sound good, but it was only that—nothing more.
"I shouldn’t have been so impatient," Mason murmured.
His eyes were filled with a dull lifelessness.
Once, he had been radiant and spirited, brimming with confidence and vitality. Now, it was as if a thick layer of dust had settled over him… Mason had narrowly escaped death, surviving by sheer luck, but although he lived, his life origin had suffered tremendous damage—his genius might well be lost.
Andrew pursed his lips, unsure how to comfort him.
Not only Mason before him, but wasn’t Suweng of the Chenriver Empire in the Silver River system just the same? The former had rushed to temper himself, the latter had hurried to advance to the Stellar Palace Tier—both had made grave mistakes.
The world is ever-changing and unpredictable; never be overly hasty.
Inside the vessel, all was quiet. The lighting was just right, casting a serene, empty calm. The three crystal-glass sofas were arranged in an orderly yet casual fashion; on the small table sat rare and exotic fruits, and desserts reminiscent of Earth’s cheese, their fragrances mingling and intertwining in the air.
It was like a blooming flower—so refreshing.
And like lush green leaves, glistening and full of life.
"...Looks pretty good," Mason said.
Mason sat in silence, gazing at the exotic fruits and desserts laid out on the table. He picked up a naturally square red fruit, held it in his palm for a moment, then, after weighing it, let out a silent sigh of loss and placed it down. He picked up a small piece of dessert, put it in his mouth, and chewed gently, letting the sweetness seep into his senses: "So sweet, and so delicious."
"Of course," Andrew replied with a cheerful laugh, introducing the delicacies.
The square red fruit was called fish-fruit. The cheese-like dessert was a sample Andrew provided, reproduced by the ship’s intelligent robots.
"Oh?"
"Is this a specialty from your hometown?" Mason asked.
Lowering his head for a closer look, a rare glimmer of light appeared in Mason’s otherwise dull eyes.
Andrew smiled and said, "Cheese isn’t really a specialty—hardly worthy of a grand hall. Today, I’ll let you taste my true hometown specialty—an unrivaled delicacy that’s famous across the seas and lands, a supreme hall-level treat: Chinese barbecue."